Ch. 30.5 The End of the War and Its Legacy Section Objectives: 1. Describe Nixon’s policy of Vietnamization. 2. Explain the public’s reaction to the Vietnam War during Nixon’s presidency. 3. Describe the end of U.S. involvement and the final outcome in Vietnam. 4. Examine the war’s painful legacy in the United States and Southeast Asia. One American’s Story ­Who was Alfred S. Bradford? ­What impact did Vietnam have on the United States? 1. President Nixon and Vietnamization ­Who was ​
Richard Nixon? ● The 37th president of the United States who began to pull troops out of Vietnam. ­What did critics believed prolonged the war? ● He continued the war against North Vietnam. A. The Pullout Begins ­What happened to peace negotiations with North Vietnam? ● They stalled because each side could not reach an agreement. ● The U.S. wanted the South Vietnamese government to remain ● North Vietnam wanted a coalition government of the Vietcong in South Vietnam ­Who was ​
Henry Kissinger? ● Nixon’s National Security Advisor ­What was ​
Vietnamization? ● A plan developed by Nixon and Kissinger that called for a gradual withdrawal of U.S. troops from Vietnam and have the South Vietnamese take a more active combat role in the war B. “Peace With Honor” ­What was the goal of Nixon’s Vietnam policy? ● Part of the Vietnamization plan was to establish a “peace with honor” 2. Trouble Continues on the Home Front ­Who was the ​
silent majority? ● moderate mainstream Americans who quietly supported the U.S. efforts in Vietnam. ­Why would Nixon want to gain their support? ● To win support for his war policies A. The My Lai Massacre ­What is ​
My Lai? ● A small village in the northern part of South Vietnam ­What happened at My Lai? ● A U.S. platoon led by Lieutenant William Calley Jr. massacred innocent civilians. ­Why did U.S. troops believe they were not responsible for what happened at My Lai? ● They were merely following orders. B. The Invasion of Cambodia ­Why did Nixon decide to have the U.S. invade Cambodia? ● 1970, to clear out North Vietnamese and Vietcong supply centers. ­Why did students and others protest Nixon’s invasion of Cambodia? ● They wanted the war to end. C. Violence on Campus ­What happened at ​
Kent State University? ● Student protesters threw rocks at the National Guard, the N.G. responded by firing on the crowd, nine people were wounded and four were killed. ­What happened at Jackson State? ● antiwar protesters were fired upon by the National Guard again after throwing bottles at them, 12 wounded 2 killed D. The Pentagon Papers ­What did Congress repeal in 1970 after Nixon had the U.S. bomb and invade Cambodia? ● Tonkin Gulf Resolution ­What were the ​
Pentagon Papers? ● 1971, A document written for Robert McNamara that showed the government was planning to go to war in Vietnam when LBJ promised the U.S. would not. ­Why did the Pentagon Papers upset Americans? ● Confirmed the belief that the government had not been honest about its intentions. 3. America’s Longest War Ends ­What did President Nixon decide to do in 1972 in response to a North Vietnamese attack on South Vietnam? ● Ordered a massive bombing campaign against North Vietnamese cities A. “Peace is at Hand ­What announcement did Kissinger make one week before the presidential election? ● Peace is at hand ● dropped the insistence that North Vietnam remove all their troops from the South B. The Final Push ­What happened to peace talks after Nixon’s reelection? ● Kissinger’s plan was rejected by the Thieu regime in South Vietnam ● Nixon unleashed more bombings on Hanoi. Christmas bombings ● Calls to end war came from Congress, China, and the Soviet Union ­What were the terms of the cease­fire agreement? ● North Vietnam troops would remain in the South ● U.S. combat troops would leave Vietnam (1973) C. The Fall of Saigon ­What was the final resolution of the Vietnam War? ● Cease fire agreement collapsed ● April of 1975 South Vietnam surrendered to North Vietnam 4. The War Leaves a Painful Legacy ­What were the effects of the Vietnam War? ● 58,000 American deaths ● 2 million North and South Vietnamese deaths ● Gave America a more cautious outlook on foreign affairs ● Cynical attitude toward the government A. American Veterans Cope Back Home ­What kind of reception did Vietnam veterans receive when they came home? ● Indifference or hostility from people bitter about the war B. Further Turmoil in Southeast Asia ­What happened in Vietnam after the war? ● Communists imprisoned 400,000 South Vietnamese into reeducation labor camps, these were people who supported the U.S. or business owners ­What happened in Cambodia after the war? ● a brutal civil war in which a communist group, Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot, seized power in 1975 ● They wanted a country filled with peasants so they ended up killing at least 1 million people, professors, professionals, anyone with an education or foreign ties C. The Legacy of Vietnam ­What is the ​
War Powers Act? ­What is the legacy of the Vietnam War? ­How does the war still influence American politics and foreign policy?